Tonight, the reigning champions take to the field once more. The reigning FIFA World Cup champions, Argentina, clash with Egypt in the Round of 16, at the Atlanta Stadium. A dominant South American team goes up against a rejuvenated African side that just pulled off one of the great upsets in the nation’s history by edging out Australia on penalties.
And, while there is no doubting that Lionel Scaloni’s men will start the match as strong favorites, the recent issues experienced in the Round of 32 should certainly have served as a warning.
The Cape Verde wake-up call
Argentina might boast a perfect World Cup record, with four wins from four so far, but the 3-2 victory against Cape Verde could barely have been described as convincing. La Albiceleste, so often potent going forward, were left to huff and puff for some periods of the match and needed an additional 30 minutes to overcome a disciplined Cape Verde team.
They will have to do a lot more tonight. Hossam Hassan’s side will undoubtedly be happy to sit deep and compact, forming a frustrating low block to invite pressure, and allow them to counter-attack at speed through their star player Mohamed Salah.
Argentina will need far more horizontal movement and efficiency in the final third to prevent yet another elongated, nerve-shredding tie from playing out at the Atlanta Stadium.
The Messi factor: Discomfort and dedication
And then there’s Lionel Messi. Unquestionably the greatest players to ever live, and surely the best player at the World Cup to date, seven goals in just four games says all there is to say about his influence. However, there are suggestions emerging that the Argentine captain may be carrying a slight knock into this evening’s encounter.
When questioned on the matter during this afternoon's pre-match press conference, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni waved away the claims, insisting he had no knowledge of any such problems and that Messi himself had reported no concerns.
Regardless, the captain is simply not one for sitting out matches of this magnitude, even if he isn’t operating at 100%. The concern isn’t will he play, it’s whether any underlying pain might curtail his sublime, almost other-worldly, performances against the likes of the physically imposing Egyptian backline.
Predicted Argentina XI (4-4-2)
Scaloni is expected to maintain his favoured starting eleven, sticking with the tried and tested to control possession, tire out their opponents and play through their midfield.
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
- Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Facundo Medina
- Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Thiago Almada
- Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez
The bench brigade: Time for Paz and Simeone?
While the starting XI for this Argentina side is definitely strong, their performannce against Cape Verde surely put a spotlight on the absolute necessity of quality coming from the bench. Fans and experts are both calling for more game time for two emerging stars: Nico Paz and Giuliano Simeone.
The aforementioned Paz has had a remarkable campaign with Serie A side Como this year, netting 12 goals and providing seven assists and shows a remarkable knack of drifting in between lines, while Simeone’s energy on the flank could prove crucial against the Egypt’s low block, particularly if things get sticky.
If the game struggles to open up this evening, Scaloni must look to his youthful brigade to break the deadlock.
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